Scuba Certification Rip Off

[RIDIVER501]

I would think that if there was anything noted in the unscrupulous intructors "hit" log he would want to call up the people and tell them that they need to finish whatever it may be to complete the cert. The first time I went to do my OW dives I came off a cold and couldn't equalize, so basically I could go down 5' and then my ears would kill! The instructor was nice enough to setup another set of OW dives a couple of months later and I got my card. I'm glad it was a couple of months later as Toby in May was freakin' cold!!!
RIDiver501 - how do you handle people on yout hit log?? Do you call them up to explain what they missed and what they need to do to complete the cert?
It just seems to be the professional thing to do - at least in my eyes.
I'm not trying to rag on you or anything RIDiver - sorry if it seems that way - but that is what I would expect.
Again we don't know the entire situation so hard to speculate why the cards aren't sent in.
Good luck in getting your card fish_bowl! Hopefully you'll be in the water soon...

Safe Diving

no the hit log is just that. it is a tickler for me to call, email, send snail mail to these individuals to get them on track...after so many attmepts though it become a you snooze you loose situation. I am not going to just send certs in and go oh well just get them off my plate. if i don't get what i need to keep my records straight you don't get the cert.

 

[FreeFloat]

I believe fish_bowl said that the instructor worked for a dive shop that has now closed, so in this case the onus is completely on the instructor. Sadly, unless he's now working for another dive shop there no longer seems to be much motivation for him to sort out these 22 unlucky folks, either..........

 

[alemaozinho]

he,s just one bad example for the industry,sorry to see that.HOPE THAT IT DIDNT TAKE YOU OFF AND I WISH YOU BETTER LUCK WITH YOUR NEXT COURSE.PEACE

 

[boney]

Glad to see that some people are still professional like yourself RIDIVER.

Good luck Fish_Bowl!!!

no the hit log is just that. it is a tickler for me to call, email, send snail mail to these individuals to get them on track...after so many attmepts though it become a you snooze you loose situation. I am not going to just send certs in and go oh well just get them off my plate. if i don't get what i need to keep my records straight you don't get the cert.

 

[fish_bowl]

Just a bit of devils advocate here. First the owness in the situation lies on your instructor and the dive shop. If you have done EVERYTHIng you needed to do. Filled out all the forms, completed all the Knowledge reviews, quizes and the test, paid for the course, provided pictures for the certification card and had your student recaord file and log book properly signed and filled out. then there is no reason your card should be held up.

I am a PADI instructor and in addition to all the other paperwork I have to keep track of I need to keep a "HIT" log...this is a log of all my students who owe me something... a make-up test, thier knowledge reviews, payment, etc... So i can justify not sending the the paperworkto them and PADI... I currently have 15 divers on that list. I directly certified 76 divers last year and assited in the training of at least another 30... so I am looking at roughly a 15% non-cert for some reason beyond my control ratio.....
Now I am not saying this applies to you or your situation, becuase i know there are people in the industry who fail to do what they are supposed to do.

My advice to you is to go down to your dive center and meet face to face with the shop owner and the instructor and get this settled....a phone call or an e.mail doesn't ever seem to get the right message across to someone who owes you something.

Plus if there is indeed a lack of performance issue you can fill out a quality assurance form on the instructor with PADI and PADI must address the issue and discipline the instructor as necessary.

Lastly if you enjoyed diving don't let this butt-head take that away from you

First of All, I finished the course and OWE nothing.. so did my boyfriend, so did the two guys i took it with.. we all passed with flying colours.. This guy just did not send our stuff in.. and PADI is trying to get it from him.. On top of that he never gave us temp cards even though I asked him over and over for some.. He always told me he was out..

fish

 

[fish_bowl]

I believe fish_bowl said that the instructor worked for a dive shop that has now closed, so in this case the onus is completely on the instructor. Sadly, unless he's now working for another dive shop there no longer seems to be much motivation for him to sort out these 22 unlucky folks, either..........

The instructor was the owner of the dive shop.. he is no longer an instructor for PADI. I guess he did not renew his instructor stuff. I"m not sure how that works.

 

[Diver0001]

this guy needs teaching a lesson. Small claims court would probably take care of that. I know there are Lawyers on the board, perhaps you can ask "Lawman" for some advice how to bring a class action suit on behalf of all those affected by this instructor. Iam sure PADI will back your case too.

Small claims court in Canada is a joke. They can rule that the plaintiff is right but they can't force settlement. You always need to escalate and before you're done you've spend more money than you'll get back.

However.....Added up it's fraud on a scale big enough that the public prosecutor could nail him for a different kind of criminal offense. You might not get your money back but he'll regret it.

If what the fish guys says is provable then I would suggest taking this story to the police and see what they do with it.

R..

 

[RIDIVER501]

The instructor was the owner of the dive shop.. he is no longer an instructor for PADI. I guess he did not renew his instructor stuff. I"m not sure how that works.

If he is not renewed but was when you took your class then you can have him fill out paperwork for a referal....and then you might have to repeat your OW dives but that is better then repeating the whole course.

 

[jagfish]

I'm no instructor,
but I just read in another thread that if he was renewed at the time he gave the course, he can still confer that certification...

So the first key point I would find out is whether he was renewed and eligible to teach at the time you took your class. If so, I think the possibilities are potentially brighter and less complicated...

JAG

 

[fish_bowl]

He was certified as a tech and all he has to do is tell PADI that I and everyone else passed and for some reason he just wont' do it.. he has come up with every excuse under the sun.. i have no money, i sent the stuff in.. i lost it. the story changes all the time..

It's so simple it makes me really upset.. All he has to do is say I passed.. PADI already said that is all they need to hear.

I thought I would be diving by this time.. I even have gear.. grr.. not all my gear but enough..